Howe opens peace effort

Press, 25 July 1986, Page 6

Howe opens peace effort

NZPA-Reuter Johannesburg The British Foreign Secretary, Sir Geoffrey Howe, was meeting today South Africa’s most influential business figures hoping to line up support for his peace mission. Sir Geoffrey held a twohour discussion yesterday with the President, Mr Pieter Botha, and presented him with a list of demands drawn up by the 12-nation European Economic Community, including the release of the jailed black nationalist leader, Nelson Mandela. Sir Geoffrey told a news conference that his talks had been "candid, courteous and substantive,” but declined to elaborate, saying he and Mr Botha had agreed to maintain confidentiality. A senior British official said that Sir Geoffrey had made it clear to Mr Botha that the Community blueprint was backed up by an implicit threat of new economic measures if substantial progress did not emerge from this week’s mission. It will reach a climax next week in a second meeting with Mr Botha. Sir Geoffrey had not given up hope of meeting Mr Mandela and other prominent black leaders who have so far refused to see him.

In his news conference,' Sir Geoffrey made a passionate plea to convince them of his sincerity as a mediator, saying he understood the impatience of the black population, who were suffering at the hands of the Pretoria Government. He appealed to the courage, humanity and far-sightedness of black leaders to overcome their distrust and join his peace effort. "After 25 years, the wind of change in Africa is shaking its southern part to its roots. The question is not whether, but how far and how fast will South Africa change?” he said. The British Prime Minister, Mrs Margaret Thatcher, has been resisting pressure to Impose sanctions. But a failure of Sir Geoffrey’s mission may force her to give way at a Commonwealth minisummit meeting in London early next month. Sir Geoffrey spoke of a third or even fourth visit to the region to pursue his peace effort. The South African Foreign Minister, Mr Roelof Botha, told State radio yesterday that his President welcomed Mrs Thatcher’s statement this week that she was willing to hold talks with him on southern Africa.